“‘The people of Israel!
The people of Judah!
They have done nothing
But evil
In my sight
From their youth.
The people of Israel
Have done nothing
But provoke me to anger
By the work of their hands.’
Says Yahweh.
‘This city has aroused
My anger,
My wrath,
From the day it was built
Until this day.
Thus I will remove it
From my sight.
Because of all the evil
Of the people of Israel,
Of the people of Judah.
They provoked me to anger.
This includes
Their kings,
Their officials,
Their priests,
Their prophets,
The citizens of Judah,
The inhabitants of Jerusalem.
They have turned
Their back to me.
They have not turned
Their face to me.
Even though
I have taught them persistently,
They would not listen.
They would not accept correction.’”
Yahweh includes both Israel and Judah in this diatribe against all the Israelites, since they have done nothing but evil since their youth. By the work of their hands, they have provoked Yahweh to anger. The city of Jerusalem also aroused his anger, since the day that it was built. Yahweh was going to remove it because of all the evil that they had done. No one would be exempt, since their kings, officials, priests, prophets, citizens, and inhabitants of both Judah and Jerusalem had turned their backs on Yahweh, not their faces to Yahweh. He had tried to teach them persistently, but they would not listen and accept correction.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 